Plumber&#39;s suction plunger



April 28, 1964 J. E. QUINLAN PLUMBERS SUCTION PLUNGER Filed April 9, 1959 c./0//A/ CT QU/A/AAA/ kmzw h United States Patent ()fifice 3,130,421 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 3,13%,421 SUCTION PLUNGER John E. Quinlan, 8% isalrepeinte Ava,

rosse Pointe Park 3%, Mich. Filed Apr. 9, 195%, Ser. No. 805,243 3 Claims. Ji. 4-255) This invention relates to plumbing apparatus and, in particular, to plumbers suction plungers, commonly known as a plumbers friend.

One object of this invention is to provide a plumbers suction plunger which, by reason of its inclined handle construction, enables the application of a much greater amount of force by the users hand and arms and creates a much greater suction than is possible with the conventional straight-handled suction plunger.

Another object is to provide a plumbers suction plunger, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein the inclined hzmdle construction enables the adding of force from applying the users weight to the force exerted by his hands and arms, in contrast to the much weaker force capable of being exerted by the users arms and wrists alone with a straight-handled suction plunger, particularly when used for unstopping a clogged sink, washbowl, bathtub or the like located above the floor level.

Another object is to provide a plumbers suction plunger, as set forth in the object immediately preceding, wherein the application of force to the inclined handle of the plunger is assisted by the fact that, assuming the lower portion of the handle to be vertical, the upper portion of the handle is inclined at an angle more than halfway but less than three-quarters of the way from the horizontal toward the vertical, so that the vertical component of the overall force exerted by the user on the handle greatly exceeds the horizontal component of that force, yet the user is thereby able to apply an approximately straight-line force thereto in a far more efiicient and comfortable posture than in the use of prior plumbers suction plungers yet at the same time exert most of that force downward where it does the most good while minimizing the horizontal component which lacks usefulness.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a plumbers suction plunger according to one form of the invention, with the approximate position of the users hands and wrists shown in dotted lines, particularly when unclogging a drain located above the floor level; and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, upon a reduced scale, of a conventional plumbers suction plunger, with the position of the users hands and wrists also shown in side elevation and also when unclogging a drain located on a level above the floor level.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows one form of the applicants plumbers suction plunger, generally designated 1! as generally including a hollow dome-shaped suction cup, generally designated 12, mounted upon an elongated handle, generally designated 14. The suction cup 12 is preferably made from an elastomer, such as natural or synthetic rubber or synthetic plastic having the properties of elastic deformable material. The suction cup 12 has an approximately hemispherical lower cup portion 16 integral with an upper socket portion 18 on its upper side and terminating in a beaded rim 2% on its lower periphery. The cup portion 16 has a relatively thin flexible side wall 22 enclosing a dome-shaped suction chamber 24 having a central recess 26 immediately below a socket 23 in the upper socket portion 18. The socket portion 18 preferably terminates at its upper end in a bead 30.

Secured in the socket 28 of the socket portion 18 of the suction cup 12 as by a suitable cement, several of which are available on the open market, is the comparatively straight lower end portion 38 of the handle 14. The straight lower end portion 33 is of relatively short length in comparison with the overall length of the handle 14 and has an obtuse- ".gled bend 4% connecting it to a relatively much longer upper handle portion 42 which is also substantially straight beyond the bend 4-9. The preferred length of the upper handle portion 42, measured along its axis to the intersection of its axis with the axis of the lower end portion 33, is about 18 inches, and the angle between these axes is approximately degrees. Thus, assuming the axis of the lower handle portion 38 to be vertical, the upper handle portion 42 is inclined (at 55) at angle more than halfway (45) but less than threequarters of the way (67 /2 from the horizontal toward the vertical. Mounted on the upper end of the handle 14 is a hand grip 44. The hand grip 44 has therein a socket 46 receiving the upper end of the handle 14 and likewise preferably has a plurality of finger notches 4-8 separated from one another by ridges 5d, and a thumb rest portion 52 at its lower end.

The handle 14 is preferably tubular, to reduce its weight while retaining great strength, and is also preferably made of aluminum tubing or other light metal or metal alloy for the same reason. Furthermore, the tubular handle 14 provides an elongated chamber 54 therein which greatly adds to the capacity of the suction cup chamber 24. One or more ports 56 in the bottom wall 58 of the socket portion 16 establish communication between the suction cup chamber 24 and the handle chamber 54, thereby amplifying the capacity of the latter. As a result, the suction action of the plunger is enhanced by this addition to its capacity.

in the operation of the invention, let it be assumed, for convenience, that the plumbers suction plunger 10 of the present invention is to be used for unclogging a drain D located on a level L above the door level such as, for example, in a sink S having a bottom wall B. To unclog the drain D, the user supplies running water to the sink S, until the clogged drain l) is filled with water, if it is not already in that condition. The operator then grips the bent upper handle portion 42 of the handle 14 in his hands H, with his wrists W disposed at acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the upper handle portion 42, with one hand H grasping the hand grip 44. Using the weight of his body to add to the force, if necessary, he pushes vigorously downward upon the upper handle portion 42 with repeated strokes exerted in the direction of the morenearly-vertically inclined axis of the upper handle portion 42, as shown in FIGURE 1, causing the force thus exerted along the upper handle portion 42 to be transmitted as the vertical component of the total applied force almost wholly through the obtuse-angled bend 4% to the lower handle portion 3-3 and thence to the suction cup 12, causing the alternate expanding and collapsing of the cup portion 15 with a resulting alternate suction and pressure exerted upon the drain opening 0. These repeated strokes quickly build up the partial vacuum in the handle chamber 54, thereby powerfully increasing the suction exerted upon the clogged drain. It will also be evident from FIGURE 1 that the user can assist this pushing action by placing the heel of the palm of his hand against the blunt upper end of the hand grip 4 By this means, the operator is enabled to assume an efficient yet comfortable posture in which to exert an extremely powerful force on the suction cup 12 and thus unclog the drains which do not respond to the action of ordinary suction plungers with vertical handles. Why a conventional straight-handled plumbers suction plunger r i i i. 3 P is incapable of unclogging a drain which can be unclogged by the suction plunger of the present invention is seen from FIGURE 2, when used under the same'conditions, namely at a raised level L. Under these conditions, the operator must grasp the handle R in his hands H with his wrists W disposed at approximately right angles to the axis of the handle R in his hands H with his wrists W disposed at approximately right angles to the axis of the handle R. Under these conditions, the user is unable to apply the force of his weight to the plunger P to expand and contract the suction cup C, because the total force which he can exert has to be exerted almost entirely by his wrists and arm muscles alone, unaided by his Weight.

What I claim is: 1. A plumbers suction plunger comprising an inverted suction cup of resilient material having a relatively thin flexible side wall and an upper wall with a handle connection portion thereon projecting upwardly therefrom,

said handle connection portion having an upwardly opening socket therein disposed with its axis substantially vertical, and an elongated bent handle having a substantially vertical lower handle portion secured within said socket of said connection portion and having an upper handle portion disposed at an obtuse angle to said lower handle portion with the axis of the upper hand e portion inclined more nearly to the vertical than to the horizontal,

said suction cup having a dome-shaped internal surface defining a suction chamber and extending substantially continuously upward and inward from the lower edge of said cup to the axis of said socket, said upper wall of said cup having a passageway therethrough extending from said suction chamber into said socket, and

said handle being tubular and having a closure at its upper end defining an elongated handle chamber communicating with said suction chamber through said passageway. 2. A plumbers suction plunger, according to claim 1, wherein said closure has a substantially blunt upper end.

3. A plumbers suction plunger comprising an inverted suction cup of resilient material having a relatively thin flexible side wall and an upper wall with a handle connection portion thereon projecting upwardly therefrom,

said handle connection portion having an upwardly-opening socket therein disposed with its axis substantially vertical, and an elongated bent handle having a substantially vertical lower handle portion secured within said socket of said connection portion and having an upper handle portion disposed at an obtuse angle to said lower handle portion with the axis of the upper handle portion inclined at an angle greater than halfway and less than three-quarters of the way from the horizontal toward the vertical,

said suction cup having a dome-shaped internal surface defining a suction chamber and extending substantially continuously upward and inward from the lower edge of said cup to the axis of said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,924 Lattin Apr. 3, 1906 1,178,147 Gardner Apr. 4, 1916 2,008,044 Shaw July 16, 1935 2,126,689 Pouliot Aug. 9, 1938 2,267,064 Wikelund Dec. 23, 1941 2,368,091 Anderson Jan. 30, 1945 2,666,340 Hunt Ian. 19, 1954 

3. A PLUMBER''S SUCTION PLUNGER COMPRISING AN INVERTED SUCTION CUP OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A RELATIVELY THIN FLEXIBLE SIDE WALL AND AN UPPER WALL WITH A HANDLE CONNECTION PORTION THEREON PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID HANDLE CONNECTION PORTION HAVING AN UPWARDLY-OPENING SOCKET THEREIN DISPOSED WITH ITS AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, AND AN ELONGATED BENT HANDLE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LOWER HANDLE PORTION SECURED WITHIN SAID SOCKET OF SAID CONNECTION PORTION AND HAVING AN UPPER HANDLE PORTION DISPOSED AT AN OBTUSE ANGLE TO SAID LOWER HANDLE PORTION WITH THE AXIS OF THE UPPER HANDLE PORTION INCLINED AT AN ANGLE GREATER THAN HALFWAY AND LESS THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAY FROM THE HORIZONTAL TOWARD THE VERTICAL, SAID SUCTION CUP HAVING A DOME-SHAPED INTERNAL SURFACE DEFINING A SUCTION CHAMBER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY UPWARD AND INWARD FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID CUP TO THE AXIS OF SAID SOCKET. 